Fuji Yet another X100s review

Nice review. Always nice to see these reviews from professional working photographers.


"In short, Fuji have really hit the ball out of the park here and made an already great concept SO much more useable. The X100S will be the yardstick against which all other non DSLR camera’s are judged over the next few years and rightly so. Leica should be worried, because in the not too distant future when Fuji manage to cram a full frame sensor in this body it’s questionable apart from the brand kudos and heritage why anyone would want to buy one."
 
Leica got beat up badly by Nikon in the '60, when all the photojournalists went SLR ... but ... I don't really see that happening again. Leica and Fuji share a somewhat similar marketplace based on the physical aspects of camera design, but probably a much different a buyer pool. I think most Leica buyers will only buy Leica (period). I think most Fuji buyers would buy Leica, if it was more affordable, either Leica comes down in price or the Fuji owner's deposable income goes up. In many ways, nearly every Fuji sale is potentially a Leica sale. Fuji was called the poor-man's Leica ... and now giving it some thought, that statement has a lot of truth. I don't think Leica has any worries from Fuji, the technically specs and handling comparisons does not effect the average Leica buyer, because in the end ... the camera is still a Leica, an extremely expensive and exclusive club ... and that is one of the things which makes that camera so attractive.

Gary
 
Leica got beat up badly by Nikon in the '60, when all the photojournalists went SLR ... but ... I don't really see that happening again. Leica and Fuji share a somewhat similar marketplace based on the physical aspects of camera design, but much different buyer I think. I think most Leica buyers will only buy Leica (period). I think most Fuji buyers would buy Leica, if it was more affordable, either Leica comes down in price or the Fuji owner's deposable income goes up. In many ways, nearly every Fuji sale is potentially a Leica sale. Fuji was called the poor-man's Leica ... and now giving it some thought, that statement has a lot of truth. I don't think Leica has any worries from Fuji, the technically specs and handling comparisons does not effect the average Leica buyer, because in the end ... the camera is still a Leica, an extremely expensive and exclusive club.

Gary

I have to say I completely agree with you. I'm not sure it's exactly the point this guy or several other reviewers are making. However, I seriously doubt Fuji will impact Leica sales. I would love to own one if I could afford one.
 
Leica got beat up badly by Nikon in the '60, when all the photojournalists went SLR ... but ... I don't really see that happening again. Leica and Fuji share a somewhat similar marketplace based on the physical aspects of camera design, but much different buyer I think. I think most Leica buyers will only buy Leica (period). I think most Fuji buyers would buy Leica, if it was more affordable, either Leica comes down in price or the Fuji owner's deposable income goes up. In many ways, nearly every Fuji sale is potentially a Leica sale. Fuji was called the poor-man's Leica ... and now giving it some thought, that statement has a lot of truth. I don't think Leica has any worries from Fuji, the technically specs and handling comparisons does not effect the average Leica buyer, because in the end ... the camera is still a Leica, an extremely expensive and exclusive club.

Gary

I'm sure there is a lot of truth in this. I'm just not so sure it is that clear cut. Leaving aside the brands for a moment, lets consider what it is drives these guys to make these comments. I don't think it has anything to do with the brand. I think it has everything to do with the camera - it's size, it's interface, the overall gestalt, the lenses, the response to feedback, and of course the output. These guys want what a Leica can do for them, and more (such as AF). Fuji is giving them that. In other words, Fuji is not the new Leica in terms of brand, but in terms of what it can enable a photographer to accomplish.

In that sense, I feel Fuji will hurt Leica a little. They will skim from the bottom of Leica's market. They will take some that would have saved for a Leica but now won't. They will also make it very hard for Leica to move down in any meaningful sense.

In effect, Fuji have made the narrow Leica market even narrower. And it's not just the cameras and lenses. The care they take with users and pro photographers is making a mark too.

What Fuji won't do, at least with the current lineup, is damage those who want the true RF experience via a Leica. And of course the bling camera crowd.

I sense Fuji will also help the Leica lens market as the MF developments we have seen in the 100s are further evolved and come into the XP range.

As a PS, I'd add that I feel the 100s will certainly hurt Leica. Apart from those who want the nameplate, the 100s is much closer to the RF / Leica experience than the X2.
 
I have to say I completely agree with you. I'm not sure it's exactly the point this guy or several other reviewers are making. However, I seriously doubt Fuji will impact Leica sales. I would love to own one if I could afford one.

An M9 is on my short list of "things to buy right away" if I hit the lottery. I'm glad Fuji is doing such a bang-up job. I imagine a Fuji full frame capable of at least adapting M lenses (with focus, which given the new split image shouldn't be a problem) would be a hit. Probably a hit even without the M connection.
 
An M9 is on my short list of "things to buy right away" if I hit the lottery. I'm glad Fuji is doing such a bang-up job. I imagine a Fuji full frame capable of at least adapting M lenses (with focus, which given the new split image shouldn't be a problem) would be a hit. Probably a hit even without the M connection.

Ha! Yeah, an M (probably the new 240) is on my list too, along with a Manhatten penthouse and a place in the Carribean. Or Mediterranean. Sure, I'll buy a Leica if its ever chump change to me. In the meantime, I'd have to sell all of my cameras and bikes and maybe my car to get an M240 and one good Leica lens. And that's not gonna happen. In the meantime I buy non-Leicas and none of them are the "new" Leicas, but there are plenty of damn fine cameras in my price range. And some of them are "the new" Fuji's.

-Ray
 
Ha! Yeah, an M (probably the new 240) is on my list too, along with a Manhatten penthouse and a place in the Carribean. Or Mediterranean. Sure, I'll buy a Leica if its ever chump change to me. In the meantime, I'd have to sell all of my cameras and bikes and maybe my car to get an M240 and one good Leica lens. And that's not gonna happen. In the meantime I buy non-Leicas and none of them are the "new" Leicas, but there are plenty of damn fine cameras in my price range. And some of them are "the new" Fuji's.

-Ray

I could pay off my car for the price of an M9 with lens, and as you say, "there are plenty of damn fine cameras in my price range." I have nothing against Leica, would love to own one, but I'm not willing to impoverish myself to do it. Now an M6 TTL is something that might be doable if I manage to get through the rest of my shopping list, but an X100S is ahead of it.
 
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